Garden Center Tips and Commonly Asked Questions

Do you carry Christmas trees and pumpkins seasonally? Yes! Our Garden Center is year round and stocked with locally grown pumpkins and Christmas trees!

What are your garden center hours? Are they different than your store hours?Our garden center hours are the same as our regular business hours.

I was looking for a specific item in the garden center, but can’t seem to find it. Can you help me get it?No worries! Let our helpful staff know exactly what you were looking for and we’ll do our very best to get it special ordered for you!

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What do the three numbers on the bags and boxes of fertilizer mean?They represent the percentages of plant nutrients by weight. Just remember “up, down and all around.” The first number represents the nitrogen, the second represents the phosphorus and the last one represents the potassium. These numbers are always expressed in the same order.

When should I apply fertilizers to plants and trees?Don’t apply liquid fertilizer at the same time you plant. Some root hairs will break, and the fertilizer will burn them. Wait two to three weeks after planting before you fertilize. In general, apply fertilizers to plants at the beginning of the growing season. For deciduous trees, fertilize when leaves appear; and for evergreens, when it turns cold. Shrubs do not require much fertilizing.

Can I spray my fruit trees from the ground?Yes, a hose-end tree sprayer will do the job, but will often end up applying the chemical to other surrounding plants and the lawn. Consider using a ladder and a regular hose-end sprayer or pump sprayer.

How often should I fertilize my lawn?In early spring, apply a fertilizer with a pre-emergent herbicide. About six to eight weeks later in late spring apply a fertilizer with a post-emergent herbicide. In late summer, apply a fertilizer with insect control. In early fall, apply fertilizer to stimulate root growth. In late fall, apply a winterizer fertilizer that builds resistance to the cold and provides nutrients to extend the green period in the fall and green up quicker in the spring.

When should I prune?Typically, it’s best to do this trimming when the plant is dormant before it is budding.

I need a tool to trim my evergreens.Anvil pruning shears work well on light foliage. For heavier cutting, a lopping shear with more leverage will be needed. For other trees, a bypass shear provides a cleaner cut that those trees prefer.

Which is better, rubber or vinyl hose?Rubber hose will last longer and will not kink as easily. However, it is heavier and more cumbersome to handle.

When is the best time of day to water?Some people mistakenly believe that daytime watering can burn their grass, but the best time to water is actually from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If that is not possible then morning or early evening.

When do I apply insect controls?These can be applied anytime there is a problem. However, a preventative application for surface insects should be made in late spring. The best time to attack insects below the surface is in late July and early August. This application should include watering the lawn before and after the application to ensure the insecticide gets down to the root zones where the grubs are active.

What is the difference between annual, perennial and biennial weeds?Annual weeds, such as crabgrass, germinate from seeds each spring. After maturing, they drop seeds before dying. These are the seeds that germinate the following year. Perennial weeds, such as dandelions, do not die at the end of growing season. They may lay dormant in the winter, but will become noticeable in the spring. There are also biennial weeds, such as thistle, which grow vegetation in the first year and then flower and die the second year.

What is an edger? This tool provides a vertical cut into the soil, to create a clean line between a lawn and a flowerbed, driveway, sidewalk or some other structure. The fastest models are powered models. A non-powered edging tool looks like a shovel with a small blade shaped like a half moon. You can push the blade in with your foot so that it slices off a thin piece of turf, leaving a clean, straight edge of soil along the edge of the lawn.

When buying a trimmer or edger, should I buy gas-powered or electric models?If you can reach every corner of your yard with a 150′ extension cord, you should consider an electric model. They typically cost less, are quieter and require less maintenance. If you have a larger yard, then a gas-powered model may be better.

Is there a power tool that I can use to trim evergreens with?Yes, there are electric hedge trimmers. They come in different sizes. The larger units are more powerful, but do not buy a model that is too heavy for you to handle.

Which is better, an electric or gas leaf blower?A gas blower provides mobility and is more powerful.

How big of a snow blower do I need?Most consumers buy a single-stage model, which has a rubber paddle that reaches to the ground. People with driveways that are wider than two cars may want to consider a two-stage model. These can throw snow farther because they have an intake and an impeller that throws the snow. However, these do not always clean all the way to the surface of the drive.

How do I compost? Compost converts waste material into a fertilizer. Bins should be almost 30 cubic feet to ensure they retain enough heat to spur composting. Choose a location for your bin that is partially shaded. A pile can contain leaves, grass clippings, prunings, straw, spoiled hay, coffee grounds, eggshells, paper and wood ash. Remember, you should add about equal parts of green material (nitrogen), like fresh grass clippings and food scraps, to one part brown material (carbon), such as leaves. Keep it as wet as a wrung-out sponge and aerate your pile by stirring it once a week. You can layer in manure, garden soil and commercial fertilizer to speed bacterial action. You should have finished compost in about three months. For more in-depth information about composting, go here.

How close should bulbs be planted together? Groups of bulbs make a much nicer show. To create greater color impact in the garden, plant clusters of same-color flowers together in blocks or “bouquets.” Generally, larger bulbs should be planted 3″ to 6″ apart, smaller bulbs 1″ to 2″ apart.

How do I transplant flowers? First, dig a hole a little larger than the plant’s rootball. Put your hand over the rootball and turn the container over. Now, you can gently pull off the container with your other hand. Set the rootball in the hole, cover with loose soil, press down firmly and water thoroughly.